FOXES ARE FALL GUYS
Dodgy penalty leaves Leicester as the outsiders for second leg
LEICESTER were furious last night after losing to a penalty awarded for a foul conceded outside the area against Atletico Madrid.
Marc Albrighton had brought down Antoine Griezmann as he approached the side of the box – but referee Jonas Eriksson pointed straight to the spot and Griezmann converted.
Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel was clearly angry after the game. He said: “We made a challenge outside the box. That decision to award a penalty ruined our game plan.
“It’s tough to take when it is so clear and so obvious. But we have to accept these decisions, apparently. They might have scored from what should have been a free-kick but it’s easier to score a penalty.”
ANTOINE GRIEZMANN inflicted more dodgy penalty misery on Leicester in Madrid. The French forward won the 28th-minute spot-kick and then hauled himself up to convert it – but Marc Albrighton’s challenge that floored him was made outside the box. It brought back bitter memories for Leicester fans of a certain age who still remember refereeing decisions costing them against Atletico back in 1997. Then, they were left reeling after having Garry Parker sent off and three penalty appeals turned down as they crashed out of the UEFA Cup to the Spaniards. Ironically, Leicester had just started to trouble Atletico after hanging on for the opening 20 minutes when they were rocked on their heels. You could sense the home supporters at the Vicente Calderon starting to a get a touch restless as Leicester settled and began to attack. Shinji Okazaki was just inches away from getting his studs to Albrighton’s low cross which shot across the face of the Atletico goal, but minutes later Albrighton found himself in the thick of things for the wrong reasons.
He chased after the fleetfooted Griezmann as he surged towards the edge of the box and the striker did not require any further encouragement the instant he felt connection and went sprawling to the turf.
Albrighton was horrified and booked for his protests as he argued that the contact was outside the area. Referee Jonas Eriksson was having none of it and pointed straight to the spot.
Griezmann stepped up to take it and committed Kasper Schmeichel, who went to ground just as he sent it rising over him and into the net.
It was tough on Leicester but they can have few complaints at going in at the interval 1-0 down. Griezmann caused no end of problems running from a deep role and, backed up by the shooting power of Koke, they threatened to cause chaos.
Koke had rattled Schmeichel’s left-hand post in the fifth minute with a fierce shot and then Yohan Benalouane had to move sharply to throw his body in the way of another effort.
Atletico’s early movement was slick and incisive and the Foxes seemed to take a little time to get used to the speed of their play.
Griezmann nearly created the breakthrough when he fed the ball through to Fernando Torres, but the former Liverpool and Chelsea forward was falling backwards as he got his shot in and Schmeichel collected.
Griezmann chanced his arm with a 30-yard shot and Saul saw a similar effort from distance clear the visitors’ bar.
Leicester had to wait until the 55th minute before registering their first real attempt on goal with Riyad Mahrez’s strike well over.
A few minutes later, Robert Huth was booked for sending
Griezmann sprawling – a yellow card that means the defender misses the second leg at the King Power Stadium on April 18.
Then Mahrez tumbled theatrically in the box under a challenge by Gabi and was lucky not to see himself booked when clearly looking for a penalty.
Torres really should have made it 2-0 on the hour mark when he got himself into a great position just inside the area, only to slip at the crucial moment and end up ballooning the ball high and wide.
Defeat, then, for Leicester against the favourites for the tie. But a one-goal reverse is far from a disaster and was exactly the margin – albeit with an away goal – from which they came back and dumped Sevilla out of the competition.
Underestimate the Foxes at your peril. ATLETICO (4-4-2): Oblak; Juanfran, Savic, Godin, Filipe Luis; Carrasco (Correa 65), Gabi, Koke, Saul; Torres (Partey 75), Griezmann. Goal: Griezmann 28 pen. LEICESTER (4-4-2): Schmeichel; Simpson, Benalouane, Huth, Fuchs; Ndidi, Drinkwater, Mahrez, Albrighton; Okazaki (King 46), Vardy (Slimaniat 77). Booked: Benalouane, Huth, Albrighton. Referee: J Eriksson (Sweden).